If you are interested in writing a book for us, please read this (long!) page. If you are interested in writing specifically for the U.S. market, please visit our U.S. site and read the information on writing for us there.

Our Philosophy

We try to anticipate a need for basic, understandable information and fill that need by publishing a clearly written and reasonably priced how-to book for the layperson. Each year we publish 24 or more new titles, and revise more than 50 of our backlist titles to ensure that our books are always up to date regarding changes in legislation or current procedures and practices.

Our Readers

The Self-Counsel reader is seeking the answer to a question or a solution to a problem:

• Can I probate an estate (or get a divorce or incorporate a company) without a lawyer?
• Can I write my own will (or medical directive, or partnership agreement) without a lawyer?
• How do I learn how to start my own business (or market my product, or do market research)?
• Can I prepare a simple agreement or contract without a lawyer?

Our books and forms kits seek to answer those questions in a simple, easy to read style which avoids jargon and “legalese”.

Our Authors

The Self-Counsel author is an expert in his or her field, excited by the challenge of making specialized and often complicated information accessible and intelligible to any reader.

Our authors are expected to keep up to date on material pertinent to their books and prepare revisions (which may be frequent in the ever-evolving legal field) when necessary. Authors are encouraged to include checklists, glossaries, bibliographies, and worksheets, where applicable, and to present the information as clearly and comprehensively as possible.

Your Ideas

Before you submit a manuscript or proposal to us, please spend a few minutes exploring this web site. Doing this will give you an idea of the types of books we publish and should help you decide if we are the “right” publisher for you. Note that we publish in both Canada and America.

What’s Hot

Lawyers and paralegals: we are working on a new line of agreements and other forms for small business and personal use and we are very interested in discussing commissions to write these. Send an email to editor at self-counsel dot com to learn more.

We Want

We are mainly interested in manuscripts that fit one of these categories:

1. The Legal Series deals with legal issues for the lay reader and includes books such as how to file for divorce or prepare a will or incorporate without using a lawyer. Some of these books are provincial in scope, but most deal with the law from a national perspective. These books are typically a mix of explanatory text and examples of the paperwork needed. Many are packaged with a CD-ROM containing blank copies of the forms required. Page count ranges from as few as 100 pages to as many as 400-plus pages.
   
   
2. The Start & Run Series tells readers how to start and operate a specific kind of business, such as a bed & breakfast hotel, a home cleaning company or a coffee shop. These books are typically between 180 and 240 pages in length, are almost always accompanied by a CD-ROM containing forms, checklists, and worksheets that complement the book content. They are always written for readers in both Canada and the U.S.A.
   
   
3. Forms on CD: we publish and distribute a large number of legal, business, and consumer forms kits and are always interested in adding to the selection. We commission the writing of these and are happy to hear from lawyers interested in the work.
   
   
4. The Business Series concentrates on the needs and interests of the small business operator, including books on human resources management, how to manage finances, and the “how to” aspects of sales and marketing. The mix of text and examples is similar to the Legal Series. The typical page count is around 180 to 220 pages. Note: we are not currently looking for new titles in the human resources field.
   
   
5. Other: We have a growing line of books dealing with real estate (buying, renting, leasing, selling, and managing, as well as landlord and tenant issues) and are interested in book ideas in this line. We are also expanding our line of books on retirement and are interested in books on such topics as places (including countries) to retire and eldercare.

If your submission falls within one of the above categories it will have a stronger chance of success.

We do not publish fiction or poetry or comics, nor do we publish political or religious works. We have no interest in biographies or autobiographies. Our concept of an illustrated book is one with lots of worksheets and legal or business forms. Any manuscript or proposal which fits the above categories will get a same-day rejection; we simply do not publish in those categories.

In our world, self-counsel means legal counsel, NOT self-help emotional counsel. We receive literally hundreds of submissions for mental health-related books every year; we reject every one of them. Please save your postage.

What To Send

To have your book proposal given serious consideration, please send the following:

• A detailed outline or synopsis
• A brief description of why you think the book is needed, who will read it, and your evaluation of any competitive or comparable titles
• A sample chapter, if available, or a table of contents, or a sample of your writing
• A resume or a description of your credentials for writing this book — remember, we expect our authors to be experts in their field, and we strongly prefer the expertise to come from practical experience
• An e-mail address, daytime telephone number, or fax number where we may reach you if we have questions
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope or international postal reply coupons if you want your material returned to you (without those, sorry but we will discard the material sent).

All material must be:

• typed
• on 8-1/2" x 11" (“letter-size”) paper
• double spaced
• typed on one side of the sheet only.

If you are making a multiple submission (i.e. you are submitting to more than one publisher at a time), please be courteous and indicate this in your covering letter. We will usually respond to a submission within 60 days of receipt.

Please do not send a submission as an e-mail attachment; it will not be opened or read, even if it makes it past our security software.

In Canada, please forward all proposals to:

  Acquisitions Editor
  Self-Counsel Press
  1481 Charlotte Road
  North Vancouver
  BC V7J 1H1

In the U.S.A., please forward all proposals to:

  Acquisitions Editor
  Self-Counsel Press Inc.
  1704 N. State Street
  Bellingham, WA 98225